HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The Black Lives Matter group in Houston has come out in support of a man who says he was unfairly targeted by Harris County Precinct 1 deputy constables while he was doing yard work and promoting his lawn-care business.
Marlin Gibson and Black Lives Matter member Ashton Woods told reporters on Friday that the officers involved in the incident should be disciplined.
"We're looking for a suspension of these officers that were involved," Woods said.
On Wednesday, Constable Allen Rosen with Precinct 1 explained to reporters why one of his officers first approached Marlin Gibson on the day Gibson said he was doing the yard work.
"He was going door to door, which caught the deputy's attention because many people's homes were burglarized because people were going door to door knocking on doors," Rosen said.
When the officer asked Gibson for identification, Rosen said Gibson lied.
"Mr. Gibson falsified his name and DOB to the deputy," Rosen said. "He falsified who he was, which is going to raise the concern of any officer anywhere."
"If he used the incorrect name and used the incorrect date of birth, so what?" Woods said. "We don't trust the police, we don't like the police, and we don't want to interact with them."
Marlin Gibson is now facing two charges in Harris County: failing to provide an ID to a police officer and evading arrest, because authorities said he took off when the officer tried to detain him.
Rosen said officers went to Marlin's home and he reportedly barricaded himself in a room, so the officers released a K-9 and used a Taser after several warnings.
The Gibsons are denying the barricade story and say officers used excessive force. Marlin Gibson wants the Department of Justice and the ACLU to investigate.
According to court documents, Precinct 1 issued a warrant for Marlin Gibson because he allegedly threatened to assault an Aldine ISD principal.
Gibson reportedly has two other pending law enforcement cases: one with the Blynn Police Department for failing to identify and giving a false fictitious name, and another with the Bryan Police Department for resisting arrest.
